Buffalo , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The rubble that blankets much of Port-au-Prince delivers the deadly verdict on decades of inadequate construction in my home nation .

My siblings were spared ; their house was not destroyed , but my apartment back home collapsed . The destruction is of stupefying proportion . My heart cries out to my Haitian brothers and sisters who are enduring so much .

I had long known that Haiti was vulnerable -- it had been hit before , in 1751 , 1771 and 1842 . I anticipated that if it happened again , damages and loss of life would be substantial , due to the poor quality of the built environment . Some local and foreign scientists were talking about the eventuality of a major quake , but not enough attention was paid to their warnings , and eventually many saw it as only a remote possibility .

I decided to study earthquake engineering , hoping that I would have time to get the education in designing against earthquakes , would get hands-on experience , share the knowledge with engineers back home , and advocate for the adoption of building codes and the integration of sound design criteria against such occurrences . Sadly , I ran out of time .

I know that it is critical that my country now examine what steps ought to be taken to prevent such massive loss of life in the future . This is my humble contribution to this process .

Much has been written about why the earthquake flattened whole communities .

There was the flouting , or just ignorance , of international building codes developed by engineers to provide a framework in construction engineering and design , especially important in a country so susceptible to what we call `` multiple hazards '' -- earthquakes , hurricanes , storm surges , tsunami . No such building code exists in Haiti .

There was the low-cost unreinforced masonry , or barely reinforced concrete structures that have dominated Haiti 's landscape ; the anarchic construction that flourished in tightly-packed Port-au-Prince , suffocating the city and further deteriorating its already degraded environment as builders frantically mined and extracted construction materials from its mountainsides .

There was construction in obviously unsuitable areas , such as wetlands and unstable and eroded mountain flanks -- structures there could not possibly sustain the large deformation imposed by the earthquake . They collapsed without warning .

Very few buildings were designed by architects and engineers ; most were built with no construction standards -- by wealthy and poor alike . Enforcement of construction permits and site inspections has been lax . Hardly any structure met the minimum requirements to resist the type of horizontal force generated by an earthquake of that magnitude . The ones still standing may just be lucky .

As tragic as this event is , it is also an opportunity to start from scratch and rebuild the country in a planned and orderly fashion .

This calls for a comprehensive urban-development plan . There must be an emphasis on the development of model cities in Haiti , which may intelligently , yet safely , integrate architectural local features -- such as building façades mimicking the fretted wood and intricate latticework that ornamented traditional `` gingerbread '' houses favored by tourists in the 1950s -- to lure visitors and stoke an economic rebirth .

The government also must adopt and enforce a comprehensive set of construction codes and regulations with a multi-hazard focus . Engineers must think globally while designing and building structures that protect life in such an array of hazards .

Multi-hazard engineering is emerging as a cost-effective solution to engineering design and construction issues in countries like Haiti , where several natural or man-made hazards are involved . And while it is a new concept that has n't been widely applied yet -LRB- it 's an approach championed at my university , and by the federally funded Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research , or MCEER -RRB- , this multi-hazard focus is imperative in our case .

Haiti 's building codes must be based on existing , well-tested research and emphasize the necessity for peer-reviewed design as an embedded layer of safety in the design process .

For reasons of proximity and the role that the United States is playing in the earthquake 's aftermath , it would be reasonable for Haiti to base building codes on those used in the U.S. and in American territories like Puerto Rico , which share similar exposure and vulnerability , for example , to annual tropical storms or earthquakes .

Beyond this , the Haitian authorities must provide the local and international private sectors with incentives to invest in the development of affordable housing for the survivors , through tax cuts or tax payment deferments and by making public lands available during the reconstruction efforts .

These housing projects would put people back to work and support the housing market , as realtors and financial institutions will be needed . They would also provide hands-on experience to local engineers , who will need help from the international community as they learn skills required for designing multi-hazard structures to code , while providing a basis to hold them accountable in case of gross malpractice .

This financial and intellectual collaboration can extend to developing a curriculum in multi-hazard engineering that can be required in engineering schools both in private and state institutions in Haiti , and sanctioned by standardized mandatory certification tests for graduating engineers and in educational sessions for practicing engineers .

Of course , a wider reconstruction project must include the new development of lifelines that provide vital emergency response and recovery : health care facilities , communication , electric power , liquid fuel , natural gas , transportation -LRB- airports , highways , ports , rail and transit -RRB- , water , and wastewater .

This is critical , considering that the rescue efforts on the ground right now are hindered by the damage sustained by many of those systems .

In the wake of such destruction , the construction sector can be the main driver for sustainable economic development in Haiti . While it should n't have taken such a horrific event to get there , this can be a way to pay tribute to the Haitian people who have demonstrated such resilience in adversity , and to give hope to the families of the countless loved ones who have lost their lives or are injured .

Reversing the course of this catastrophe is going to be a Herculean task , requiring intense resources and a multidisciplinary approach with a strong multi-hazard focus .

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Pierre Fouche .

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Haitian Pierre Fouche says he studied earthquake engineering in anticipation of such a disaster

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He says Haiti 's buildings are terribly designed to resist quake damage

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Haiti needs comprehensive urban-planning approach in reconstruction , he says

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Fouche : To rebuild , need multi-hazard engineering , strict codes , education and money